Minorities in Korea

Last updated

Korea has always been a highly ethnically and linguistically homogeneous nation, however some minorities in Korea exist. Since recent decades, South Korea has become home to a number of foreign residents (4.9%), whereas isolated North Korea has not experienced this trend.

Contents

Minorities in North Korea include groups of repatriated Koreans, small religious communities, and migrants from neighboring China and Japan. North Korea largely remains ethnically homogeneous with a small Chinese expatriate community and a few Japanese people. [1]

With regards to minorities in South Korea, in 2022, the percent of foreigners in South Korea has risen to 4.37%, or 2,245,912 people. [2] Half of this population was Chinese (849,804), followed by Vietnamese (235,007), Thais (201,681) and Americans (156,562). [2] [3] [4]

History

In 1882, King Gojong called foreigners "uneducated louts", motivated by "lechery and sensuality". [5] The Joseon Dynasty was widely referred to as a "hermit kingdom" for sealing itself off from foreign influence. Joseon diplomacy mainly involved the Sadae ("serving the great") policy toward Imperial China. Concurrently maintained (and jointly referred to as Korean : 사대교린 정책; Hanja : 事大交隣政策;lit. serving the great and relations with neighbor policy) was the Gyorin policy of amicable relations with neighbouring countries; however this did not result in significant influx of foreign persons but rather sporadic trade delegations and diplomatic missions: envoys from the Ryūkyū Kingdom were received by Taejo of Joseon in 1392, 1394 and 1397. Siam sent an envoy to Taejo's court in 1393. [6]

The Joseon kingdom made every effort to maintain a friendly bilateral relationship with China for reasons having to do with both realpolitik and a more idealist Confucian worldview wherein China was seen as the center of a Confucian moral universe. [7] In the fifth through tenth centuries, Arabs sailed the Indian Ocean, and Arab merchants and sailors eventually landed in Korea during the Silla dynasty. [8] These contacts eventually broke off starting in the fifteenth century, resulting in the Arabs' eventual assimilation into the Korean population.

North Korea

While North Korea is ethnically and linguistically homogeneous, some minorities in North Korea exist. [9] They include groups of repatriated Koreans, small religious communities, and migrants from neighboring China and Japan.

The historical Jaegaseung ethnic group of descendants of Jurchen people used to inhabit villages of their own, under lay monastic orders, until the 1960s. These monastic communities were perceived as antisocialist and the Jaegaseung people were assimilated with the Korean people. There is also a community of ethnic Chinese people, known as huaqiao, that is in decline due to migration to China. While in the 1980s, Chinese people living in North Korea enjoyed privileged access to trips abroad, today many of them have permanently moved to China. The Japanese community in North Korea has diverse origins. Former Japanese prisoners of war in the Soviet Union, Japanese spouses of repatriated Zainichi Koreans, defecting members of the Japanese Red Army, and Japanese people abducted by North Korea live in the country.

There are small communities of Indians and Americans in North Korea. Religious communities, such as Chondoists, Buddhists and Christians, exist in the country. The Chondoist are also portrayed as the embodiment of the 19th century Donghak Peasant Revolution with their Chondoist Chongu Party, a minor party closely collaborating with the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.

A number of communities consist of ethnic Koreans who have repatriated to the Korean peninsula. Some 50,000 to 70,000 ethnic Koreans living in China migrated to North Korea in the wake of the famine following Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward and repression of ethnic minorities during the Cultural Revolution. The influx forced the North Korean government to construct refugee camps to house the immigrants. Between 100,000 and 150,000 ethnic Koreans formerly living in Japan, and their descendants, form the community of repatriated Zainichi Koreans in North Korea. Their repatriation took place between 1959 and 1980. During the 1960s and 1970s, they maintained affluence from their Japanese stay, but their wealth was consumed by the North Korean famine of the 1990s. Their communities remain tight, with marriages mostly from within the group, and separate from the rest of the North Korean society. The Soviet Union had one of the largest Korean minorities abroad, but less than 10,000 of them have repatriated to North Korea, where they have been assimilated into the rest of the society.

South Korea

Foreign nationals in South Korea population pyramid in 2021 Foreign nationals in South Korea population pyramid.svg
Foreign nationals in South Korea population pyramid in 2021

South Korea is among the world's most ethnically homogeneous nations, i.e. those with majority of the population of one ethnicity. [10] Since the end of the Korean War in 1953, South Korea has been far more open to foreign influence, especially American.

There were 1,741,919 total foreign residents in Korea in 2015, [11] compared to 1,576,034 in 2013. [12] As of September 2015, according to the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs, the foreign population in South Korea, including migrant workers, increased to 1.8 million, accounting for 3.4% of the total population. [3] In 2022, the percent of foreigners in South Korea has risen to 4.37%, or 2,245,912 people. [2] Half of this population was Chinese (849,804), followed by Vietnamese (235,007), Thais (201,681) and Americans (156,562). [2] [3] [4]

The biggest group of foreigners in Korea are the Chinese, including Joseonjok (Korean : 조선족; Hanja : 朝鮮族, Chinese citizens of Korean descent) and Han Chinese; ethnic Chinese in Korea are known as Hwagyo (화교;華僑) by the Koreans. [13] In 1970, an estimated 120,000 Chinese resided in South Korea.[ citation needed ] In the 10-year period starting in the late 1990s, the number of Chinese in Korea exploded. In the mid-2000s it was estimated that there are at least 300,000 [14] and possibly more than 1,000,000. [15] [13] As of 2016, there were 710,000 Chinese nationals living in Korea, of which ethnic Koreans from China accounted for 500,000, Chinese 190,000 and Taiwanese 20,000. Together, they accounted for 51.6 percent of all foreigners in Korea. [16]

Number of foreign residents in South Korea Foreign residents in South Korea.png
Number of foreign residents in South Korea

The second-biggest group of foreigners in South Korea are migrant workers from Southeast Asia [13] and increasingly from Central Asia (notably Uzbekistan, mostly ethnic Koreans from there, and Mongolians), and in the main cities, particularly Seoul, there is a small but growing number of foreigners related to business and education. The number of expatriate English teachers hailing from English-speaking nations has increased from less than 1,000 in 1988 to over 20,000 in 2002, [17] and stood at more than 22,000 in 2010. [18] There are 28,500 United States military personnel and civilian employees throughout the country. [19]

The number of marriages between Koreans and foreigners has been rising. In 2005, 14% of all marriages in South Korea were marriages to foreigners (about 26,000 marriages); most were rural Korean men marrying other Asian women from poor backgrounds. Many Korean agencies encourage 'international' marriages to Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipina, Indonesian, and Thai women, adding a new degree of complexity to the issue of ethnicity (see mail-order bride). [20]

Percentage of foreigners residing in South Korea by their countries of origin (2016). Percentage of foreigners residing in South Korea by their countries of origin.png
Percentage of foreigners residing in South Korea by their countries of origin (2016).

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of Japan</span>

The demographics of Japan include birth and death rates, age distribution, population density, ethnicity, education level, healthcare system of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations, and other aspects regarding the Japanese population. According to the United Nations, the population of Japan was roughly 126.4 million people, and peaked at 128.5 million people in 2010. It is the 6th-most populous country in Asia, and the 11th-most populous country in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of South Korea</span>

Demographic features of the population of South Korea include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations, and other aspects of the population. The common language and especially culture are viewed as important elements by South Koreans in terms of identity, more than citizenship.

There are various names of Korea in use today that are all derived from those of ancient Koreanic kingdoms and dynasties. The choice of name often depends on the language, whether the user is referring to either or both modern Korean countries, and even the user's political views on the Korean conflict.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koreans</span> East Asian ethnic group

Koreans are an East Asian ethnic group and nation native to the Korean Peninsula. The majority of Koreans live in the two Korean sovereign states of North and South Korea, which are collectively referred to as Korea. As of 2021, an estimated 7.3 million ethnic Koreans resided outside of Korea. Koreans are also an officially recognised ethnic minority in other several Continental and East Asian countries, including China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Uzbekistan. Outside of Continental and East Asia, sizeable Korean communities have formed in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Racism in Japan comprises negative attitudes and views on race or ethnicity which are held by various people and groups in Japan, and have been reflected in discriminatory laws, practices and action at various times in the history of Japan against racial or ethnic groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koreatown</span> Korean-dominated ethnic enclave

A Koreatown (Korean: 코리아타운), also known as a Little Korea or Little Seoul, is a Korean-dominated ethnic enclave within a city or metropolitan area outside the Korean Peninsula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koreans in Japan</span> Japanese residents of Korean origin or descent

Koreans in Japan are ethnic Koreans who immigrated to Japan before 1945 and are citizens or permanent residents of Japan, or who are descendants of those immigrants. They are a group distinct from South Korean nationals who have immigrated to Japan since the end of World War II and the division of Korea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korean diaspora</span> People of Korean descent not in Korea

The Korean diaspora consists of around 7.3 million people, both descendants of early emigrants from the Korean Peninsula, as well as more recent emigrants from Korea. Around 84.5% of overseas Koreans live in just five countries: the United States, China, Japan, Canada, and Uzbekistan. Other countries with greater than 0.5% Korean minorities include Brazil, Russia, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia. All of these figures include both permanent and temporary migrants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Korean nationality law</span>

The South Korean nationality law details the conditions in which an individual is a national of the Republic of Korea (ROK), commonly known as South Korea. Foreign nationals may naturalize after living in the country for at least five years and showing proficiency in the Korean language. All male citizens between the ages of 18 and 35 who are able-bodied and mentally competent are required to perform at least 18 months of compulsory military service or alternative civilian service.

There are no known official statistics of religions in North Korea. Officially, North Korea is an atheist state, although its constitution guarantees free exercise of religion, provided that religious practice does not introduce foreign forces, harm the state, or harm the existing social order. Based on estimates from the late 1990s and the 2000s, North Korea is mostly irreligious, with the main religions being Shamanism and Chondoism. There are small communities of Buddhists and Christians. Chondoism is represented in politics by the Party of the Young Friends of the Heavenly Way, and is regarded by the government as Korea's "national religion" because of its identity as a minjung (popular) and "revolutionary anti-imperialist" movement.

Koreans in China include both ethnic Koreans with Chinese nationality and non-Chinese nationalities such as South Korean and North Korean people living in China. For this reason, ethnic Koreans with Chinese nationality or citizenship are termed Korean Chinese, Joseonjok, Chosŏnjok, and their official name in China is Chaoxianzu. They are the 13th largest officially-recognized ethnic minority group in China. Most of Korean Chinese live in Yanbian and Changbai within Jilin province. Significant populations can also be found in Heilongjiang, Liaoning, and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, with a sizable expat community in Shanghai. According to the South Korean government, the combined population of Koreans with Chinese nationality, South Korean, North Korean in China is 2,109,727 in 2023.

A recognizable community of Chinese people in Korea has existed since the 1880s, and are often known as Hwagyo. Over 90% of early Chinese migrants came from Shandong province on the east coast of China. These ethnic Han Chinese residents in Korea often held Republic of China and Korean citizenship. The Republic of China used to govern the entirety of China, but now only governs Taiwan and a minor part of Fujian province. Due to the conflation of Republic of China citizenship with Taiwanese identity in the modern era, these ethnic Chinese people in Korea or Hwagyo are now usually referred to as "Taiwanese". However, in reality most Hwagyo hold little to no ties with Taiwan.

Immigration to South Korea is low due to restrictive immigration policies resulting from strong opposition to immigrants from the general Korean public. However, in recent years with the loosening of the law, influx of immigrants into South Korea has been on the rise, with foreign residents accounting for 4.9% of the total population in 2019. Between 1990 and 2020, South Korea's migrant population has grown 3.896%, second highest level of growth in the world.

Japanese people in North Korea are people of Japanese descent living in North Korea. They consist mainly of four groups: prisoners-of-war in the Soviet Union, Japanese accompanying repatriating Zainichi Korean spouses, defectors, and kidnapping victims. The number who remain alive is not known.

Vietnamese people in Japan form Japan's second-largest community of foreign residents ahead of Koreans in Japan and behind Chinese in Japan, according to the statistics of the Ministry of Justice. In June 2024, there were 600,348 legally resident. Whereas, in 2007, there were only about 35,000 Vietnamese legally living in Japan. At that time, the majority of Vietnamese legal residents lived in the Kantō region and Keihanshin area.

Anti-Korean sentiment or Koryophobia describes negative feelings towards Korean people, Korean culture, or the countries, North Korea and/or South Korea.

Immigration to the People's Republic of China is the international movement of non-Chinese nationals in order to reside permanently in the country.

Among the several native ethnic groups of Japan, the predominant group are the Yamato Japanese, who trace their origins back to the Yayoi period and have held political dominance since the Asuka period. Other historical ethnic groups have included the Ainu, the Ryukyuan people, the Emishi, and the Hayato; some of whom were dispersed or absorbed by other groups. Ethnic groups that inhabited the Japanese islands during prehistory include the Jomon people and lesser-known Paleolithic groups. In more recent history, a number of immigrants from other countries have made their home in Japan. According to census statistics in 2018, 97.8% of the population of Japan are Japanese citizens, with the remainder being foreign nationals residing in Japan. The number of foreign workers has been increasing dramatically in recent years, due to the aging population and the lack of labor force. A news article in 2018 states that approximately 1 out of 10 young people residing in Tokyo are foreign nationals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaegaseung</span> Ethnic Jurchens in northeastern Korea

Jaegaseung were descendants of Jurchen people who lived in northeastern Korea. They formed villages of married lay monks and produced oatmeal paper called hwangji (黃紙) which was used to pay their taxes. The monastic identity of the lay monks was seen as anti-socialist by the government of North Korea, and, consequently, the Jaegaseung were forcibly assimilated into Korean culture on the orders of North Korean president Kim Il Sung.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minorities in North Korea</span> Ethnic and religious minorities in North Korea

While North Korea is ethnically and linguistically homogeneous, some minorities in North Korea exist. They include groups of repatriated Koreans, small religious communities, and migrants from neighboring China and Japan.

References

  1. ↑ CIA World Factbook North Korea Archived 26 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine
  2. 1 2 3 4 "경기도 과천시 관문로 위치. 전자민원, 준법 운동, 여성포럼, 인권 광장".
  3. 1 2 3 김강한 (28 August 2015). "외국인 주민이 5% 넘는 '다문화 도시' 전국 12곳". The Chosun Ilbo. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  4. 1 2 "K2WebWizard". Archived from the original on 16 July 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  5. ↑ Rauhala, Emily (24 December 2010). "South Korea: Should Foreign Teachers Be Tested for HIV?". Time . Archived from the original on 27 December 2010. Retrieved 27 December 2010.
  6. ↑ Goodrich, L. Carrington et al. (1976). Dictionary of Ming biography, 1368-1644 (明代名人傳), Vol. II, p. 1601. Archived 9 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ Mansourov, Alexandre Y. "Will Flowers Bloom without Fragrance? Korean-Chinese Relations". Archived 8 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine Harvard Asia Quarterly (Spring 2009).
  8. ↑ "Muslim society in Korea is developing and growing". Pravda.Ru. 11 June 2002. Archived from the original on 14 January 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  9. ↑ "North Korea - Minority Rights Group". Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  10. ↑ "Korea's ethnic nationalism is a source of both pride and prejudice, according to Gi-Wook Shin". Korea Herald . 2 August 2006. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011.
  11. ↑ "Number of foreign residents in S. Korea triples over ten years". Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  12. ↑ "2013 Immigration Statistics Annual Report". Korea Immigration Service. Foreigner Policy Division. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  13. 1 2 3 "More Than 1 Million Foreigners Live in Korea". Archived from the original on 9 September 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  14. ↑ Yonhap News Kim Hyung Jin (29 August 2006) No 'real' Chinatown in S. Korea, the result of xenophobic attitudes Archived 26 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine . 2006
  15. ↑ Tsinghua University Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine . 2005
  16. ↑ Cho Si-young (8 September 2016). "Foreign national population in Korea up more than 40% in 5 yrs". Maeil Business News Korea. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  17. ↑ "막가는 원어민 강사 골치". 16 August 2006. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  18. ↑ Lee, Jiyeon (3 February 2010). "Animosity against English teachers in Seoul". GlobalPost. Archived from the original on 24 January 2011. Retrieved 27 December 2010.
  19. ↑ "Briefing by Defense Secretary Gates and ROK Minister Lee: U.S. troop levels in South Korea will remain at 28,500". U.S. Department of State. 17 October 2008. Archived from the original on 6 April 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2010.
  20. ↑ Onishi, Norimitsu (21 February 2007). "Marriage brokers in Vietnam cater to S. Korean bachelors". International Herald Tribune . Archived from the original on 23 February 2007.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.